Protection of Omicron sub-lineage infection against reinfection with another Omicron sub-lineage

Hiam Chemaitelly; Houssein H Ayoub; Peter Coyle; Patrick Tang; Hadi M Yassine; Hebah A Al-Khatib; Maria K Smatti; Mohammad R Hasan; Zaina Al-Kanaani; Einas Al-Kuwari; Andrew Jeremijenko; Anvar Hassan Kaleeckal; Ali Nizar Latif; Riyazuddin Mohammad Shaik; Hanan F Abdul-Rahim; Gheyath K Nasrallah; Mohamed Ghaith Al-Kuwari; Adeel A Butt; Hamad Eid Al-Romaihi; Mohamed H Al-Thani; Abdullatif Al-Khal; Roberto Bertollini; Laith J Abu-Raddad

doi:10.1038/s41467-022-32363-4

Protection of Omicron sub-lineage infection against reinfection with another Omicron sub-lineage

Nat Commun. 2022 Aug 9;13(1):4675. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-32363-4.

Authors

Hiam Chemaitelly^{1

2

3}, Houssein H Ayoub⁴, Peter Coyle^{5

6

7}, Patrick Tang⁸, Hadi M Yassine^{6

9}, Hebah A Al-Khatib^{6

9}, Maria K Smatti^{6

9}, Mohammad R Hasan⁸, Zaina Al-Kanaani⁵, Einas Al-Kuwari⁵, Andrew Jeremijenko⁵, Anvar Hassan Kaleeckal⁵, Ali Nizar Latif⁵, Riyazuddin Mohammad Shaik⁵, Hanan F Abdul-Rahim¹⁰, Gheyath K Nasrallah^{6

9}, Mohamed Ghaith Al-Kuwari¹¹, Adeel A Butt^{12

5

13}, Hamad Eid Al-Romaihi¹⁴, Mohamed H Al-Thani¹⁴, Abdullatif Al-Khal⁵, Roberto Bertollini¹⁴, Laith J Abu-Raddad^{15

16

17

18}

Affiliations

¹ Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Cornell University, Doha, Qatar. hsc2001@qatar-med.cornell.edu.
² World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Disease Epidemiology Analytics on HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Viral Hepatitis, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Cornell University, Qatar Foundation - Education City, Doha, Qatar. hsc2001@qatar-med.cornell.edu.
³ Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, New York, USA. hsc2001@qatar-med.cornell.edu.
⁴ Mathematics Program, Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Physics, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
⁵ Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
⁶ Biomedical Research Center, Member of QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
⁷ Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queens University, Belfast, United Kingdom.
⁸ Department of Pathology, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar.
⁹ Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, Member of QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
¹⁰ Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
¹¹ Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
¹² Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, New York, USA.
¹³ Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, New York, USA.
¹⁴ Ministry of Public Health, Doha, Qatar.
¹⁵ Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Cornell University, Doha, Qatar. lja2002@qatar-med.cornell.edu.
¹⁶ World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Disease Epidemiology Analytics on HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Viral Hepatitis, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Cornell University, Qatar Foundation - Education City, Doha, Qatar. lja2002@qatar-med.cornell.edu.
¹⁷ Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, New York, USA. lja2002@qatar-med.cornell.edu.
¹⁸ Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar. lja2002@qatar-med.cornell.edu.

Abstract

There is significant genetic distance between SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant BA.1 and BA.2 sub-lineages. This study investigates immune protection of infection with one sub-lineage against reinfection with the other sub-lineage in Qatar during a large BA.1 and BA.2 Omicron wave, from December 19, 2021 to March 21, 2022. Two national matched, retrospective cohort studies are conducted to estimate effectiveness of BA.1 infection against reinfection with BA.2 (N = 20,994; BA.1-against-BA.2 study), and effectiveness of BA.2 infection against reinfection with BA.1 (N = 110,315; BA.2-against-BA.1 study). Associations are estimated using Cox proportional-hazards regression models after multiple imputation to assign a sub-lineage status for cases with no sub-lineage status (using probabilities based on the test date). Effectiveness of BA.1 infection against reinfection with BA.2 is estimated at 94.2% (95% CI: 89.2-96.9%). Effectiveness of BA.2 infection against reinfection with BA.1 is estimated at 80.9% (95% CI: 73.1-86.4%). Infection with the BA.1 sub-lineage appears to induce strong, but not full immune protection against reinfection with the BA.2 sub-lineage, and vice versa, for at least several weeks after the initial infection.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Humans
Proportional Hazards Models
Reinfection*
Retrospective Studies
SARS-CoV-2